Masutha promises to help student activists demanding pardorn

Justice Minister Michael Masutha visited convicted Fees Must Fall student activist Bonginkosi Khanyile on Friday night at the gardens of the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Khanyile and his mother, together with EFF Student Command members, have been staging a sit-in this week.

They’re demanding presidential pardon for activists who were convicted of crimes following the 2016 Fees Must Fall protests.

Khanyile faces sentencing in October. Minister Masutha says he is prepared to assist these students in compiling their pardon applications before submitting them to President Cyril Ramaphosa for consideration.

Masutha says they’ll hold a meeting on Monday morning at the GCIS offices in Hatfield.

“I will prepare a statement that we will share with them over the weekend. So that we don’t say things that misrepresent what happened here and we have agreed on that and they have said once the media briefing has been made and everybody knows what the outcome was then they would then decide whether they abandoned this demonstration; But until then they insist that they are going to continue,” says Masutha.

“You know just because they agree with me here in the darkest of the night without all the media being present they cannot completely trust that I will stick to the promises that I have made,” says Masutha.

Khanyile says he has to trust the minister, “Ja! you can’t come at night, you must come in day light where the world will see. Now he comes at night we don’t know whether he is dribbling us or what. But we are confident and we are going to work with him. And we do feel that there has been a progress and we are willing to work together in ensuring that we are able to deliver victory. We are willing to stomach the pressure and move on and fight until victory.”

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